Prevention

Some causes of infertility are related to lifestyle or other health conditions. To help protect your fertility:

• Avoid using tobacco (cigarettes) and marijuana, which reduce fertility, especially by reducing sperm counts.
• Avoid exposure to harmful chemicals.
• Avoid excessive alcohol use, which may damage eggs or sperm.
• Limit sex partners and use condoms to reduce the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). STDs that go undetected and untreated can damage the reproductive system and cause infertility. If you think you may have an STD, get treatment promptly to reduce the risk of damage to your reproductive system. Make sure you know how to use a male condom and/or how to use a female condom.
• Maintain a body weight close to the ideal for your height to reduce the possibility of hormone imbalances. This is very important for men as well as for women.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer and hope to have children in the future, talk to your doctor about preventing cancer treatment–related infertility.